First Minister announces boost for humanitarian aid
First Minister John Swinney has announced an additional £300,000 funding will be provided to support humanitarian aid efforts in the Middle East through the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Appeal and Scottish charities, SCIAF and Mercy Corps.
This funding, delivered through the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund programme, will help provide urgent assistance to those affected by the ongoing conflict, including food, clean water, medical care, and shelter for displaced individuals in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.
The announcement was made by the First Minister during a parliamentary debate on the international situation in which he also called for Scotland to champion the benefits of international trade, cooperation, and solidarity during this period of international turbulence.
The First Minister said: “I’m pleased to announce a contribution of £240,000 through our Humanitarian Emergency Fund to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal for the Middle East, along with £30,000 each for Scottish charities, SCIAF and Mercy Corps for their responses in Lebanon and Syria.
“This is in addition to the £250,000 that we provided to this appeal last November and comes at a time when humanitarian needs continue to increase across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.
“I believe that wherever we can, we do what is within our power to de-escalate and support recovery from disaster and conflict in our deeply interconnected world.
“Investing in the wellbeing of the international community is also an investment in our national wellbeing and security and I make no apology for doing so in these turbulent times.”
The First Minister added: “At a time when the US, the UK and other donors have slashed their aid budgets, we in Scotland are committed to continuing to support our Global South partner countries, and more widely to responding to humanitarian emergencies globally.
“Though we recognise the amounts Scotland contributes may be small in the face of growing need, we will do all we can to ensure it has maximum impact. Scotland will continue to act as a good global citizen.”
DEC spokesperson Huw Owen said: “This additional donation to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal from the Scottish Government through its Humanitarian Emergency fund is hugely welcome.
“The Appeal has now raised close to £4 million here in Scotland, over £45 million UK wide, which also includes many generous individual donations from the public. We are hugely grateful for this support.
“It will bolster DEC charities and their expert local partners’ continuing efforts in Gaza and the wider region, working in incredibly challenging circumstances, to reach the most affected communities with medical care, food and clean water as well as psychological support for traumatised children and their families.”
Humanitarian needs across the Middle East continue to escalate, with nearly half of the population of Gaza facing emergency levels of food insecurity and water, shelter and medicine in desperately short supply. By providing this funding, the DEC and its member charities can ensure that when the current blockade of Gaza is finally lifted, those needs can be addressed without delay.
The DEC appeal for the Middle East launched on 17 October 2024 and the Scottish Government’s previous contribution of £250,000 supported DEC and partner organisations in delivering humanitarian aid across the region.
Since the appeal’s launch, generous donations from the public have helped deliver lifesaving assistance, and further contributions remain essential to sustain these efforts.
The appeal has raised £3.8m in Scotland and the Scottish public can make a donation at Donate to Middle East Appeal | Disasters Emergency Committee